The present disclosure relates generally to systems having entities thereon who wish to communicate, an example being a telecommunications system where the entities are subscribers. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to an apparatus, and an associated method, by which to create, store, and share presence information about entities in a private and secure manner.
Merging of computer and communication technologies has permitted the development and implementation of new types of communication services that provide for improved communication interconnectivity. Communication services include, not only those that are carried out between communication stations that are connected together by way of wireline connections, but also communication services that are carried out between wireless communication stations, or combinations thereof.
Text messages, such as e-mail messages, have long been used to communicate between two or more parties. Communication using e-mail messages is advantageous for the reason that a receiving party need not be available to receive an e-mail message sent by a sending party at the same time at which the sending party sends the e-mail message. Rather, e-mail communications are of a store-and-forward-type. When the receiving party is ready to receive the message, the message is forwarded, from a store-and-forward entity, to the receiving party. While rudimentary systems provided merely for the communication of messages in textual form, newer schemes often permit for the communication of large data files that provide audio, video, and multimedia services to be performed.
And, more recently, push message services have also been developed. Push message services are also regularly utilized to communicate between two or more parties. In a push message service, a message sent by a sending party is “pushed” to the receiving party. That is to say, the message generated by the sending party is immediately and actively transferred so that the message is received at the receiving party with little or no delay. Push message services between two or more parties have achieved significant levels of popularity, and the messaging services are regularly utilized for on-line “chats”, social networking, and other communication activities. Push-messaging services, generally, provide an always-on capability, thereby to provide for the nearly-immediate, ad-hoc message communication.
Push message services are also available by way of wireless communication stations, such as portable mobile stations. Instant messaging services are carried out with a mobile station in manners analogous to manners by which the push message services are carried out by wireline-connected communication stations.
Such message services generally utilize a presence server to ascertain whether an individual or entity is available to communicate using the associated service.